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At Wednesday's Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) Board of Control meeting, the association will consider numerous winter sports recommendations from the various Coaches Advisory Committees, including significant changes proposed for basketball.

Among the agenda items for consideration are two different proposals regarding the shot clock as well as significant expansion for the basketball state tournament.

All proposals must first be considered by the WIAA Advisory Council on Tuesday. Due to a Constitutional change several years ago, the Advisory Council can vote down any proposals, meaning they would not advance to the Board of Control to consider.

If supported at the Advisory Council level, the shot clock, state tournament expansion, and the other proposals would then go to the Board of Control. However, another Constitutional change from a few years ago would add one more step for the shot clock prior to full implementation.

Any season or tournament regulations that add costs to the schools, including the shot clock, must go to the WIAA membership at the Annual meeting for final approval.

If the full implementation of the shot clock is supported at the Advisory Council and Board of Control, it would need to be approved by a simple majority of voting delegates at the next WIAA Annual Meeting in April of 2026. It is important to note that the other shot clock proposal that would allow non-conference use by mutual agreement would not require member approval.

The WIAA Basketball Coaches Advisory Committee proposed and the Board of Control passed a shot clock plan in June of 2017, but after negative feedback from schools and administrators, the Board rescinded that decision.

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), which sets playing rules for high school sports, including basketball, voted to allow the use of the shot clock by state adoption in 2021. At that time, eight states already had the shot clock, meaning they were not in compliance with NFHS regulations, and for the 2023-24 school year, that number will now rise to 30 states that have it in some capacity.

Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association surveys of coaches have shown support of the shot clock overall, with the last survey receiving about 62% support at the coach level. However, a WBCA survey in December of 2022 got responses at the school and administration level, where of 339 respondents, 45.7% favor the shot clock compared to 54.3% against.

NFHS shot clock regulations include a 35-second shot clock with two visible timepieces in each gym attached to the backboard supports. Unlike the college game, NFHS rules require a full rest of the shot clock on any offensive rebound, though a kicked ball with less than 19 seconds remaining would reset the shot clock to 20 seconds.

There are two proposals on the agenda regarding the shot clock, one that would implement the use of the shot clock in all regular season and tournament games beginning in the 2027-28 season, and a separate proposal that would allow the use of a shot clock for non-conference games by mutual agreement of the schools beginning in the 2025-26 season.

One or both options could be approved.

Implementing the shot clock for all games for the 2027-28 season was supported 6-1 by the WIAA Basketball Coaches Committee but just 7-6 by the Sports Advisory Committee, which is made up of athletic directors. The WIAA Executive Staff is listed as "split" on the proposal.

The second shot clock proposal would allow the use of a shot clock for non-conference games by mutual agreement of the participating schools beginning in 2025-26. When a shot clock would be used, the host school would be required to fill out a post-game data collection form that would be provided to the WIAA.

It would appear this would be an experimental rule, and is not listed as requiring constitutional approval. 

If supported at the Advisory Council level, the shot clock proposals would then go to the Board of Control. However, as previously mentioned, the proposal for full implementation of the shot clock for the 2027-28 season would still have to go to the full WIAA membership for a vote in April of 2026 for final approval.

Identical proposals were made last year by the Coaches Advisory Committee, but voted down 6-4 by the Board of Control at last June's meeting. The WIAA Board of Control also rejected a shot clock proposal in 2023.

The Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) worked over several months to produce a proposal that would increase the number of state tournament qualifiers from 20 to 40 in both boys and girls basketball, which was advanced by the WIAA's Basketball Coaches Advisory Committee for consideration.

Currently, four teams qualify in each of five divisions, with the tournament taking place over seven sessions and 15 games in three days. Under the proposal, eight teams would qualify in each of five divisions, with the state tournament expanding to four days and multiple venues. Three sites would be required for Wednesday to play state quarterfinals, and a Thursday morning session at the Resch Center (girls) and Kohler Center and would be added back to the schedule. A full breakdown of the proposed schedule is below.

The WIAA Basketball Coaches Advisory Committee voted 7-0 in favor, though the Sports Advisory was just 7-6 in support. The WIAA Executive Staff indicated it does not support the state tournament expansion plan, the only basketball proposal to receive this designation from the staff.

This proposal would not adjust how divisions are assigned or determined.

The WBCA conducted a survey of head coaches in 2024, with 90% of the 438 respondents showing support for the plan.

Proponents of the plan point out that Wisconsin has a smaller percentage of its teams making the state tournament than other surrounding states. Iowa sends 32 boys teams (9% of all schools) and 40 girls teams (11%) to state, while Minnesota sends 32 for both boys and girls (8%). With just 20 qualifiers for boys and girls, Wisconsin has significantly less, as only about 4% of boys and girls teams make it to state.

Among the items that the WBCA has identified as positives of this proposal are:

• Opportunities for more players and teams to qualify for the state tournament and be showcased
• Opportunity for teams from more geographic areas of the state to earn a trip
• Additional revenues for the WIAA, especially with decreasing state tournament attendance in recent years
• Eliminates back-to-back games at the regional level

There are concerns and uncertainty about the status of broadcasting all games. Currently, all boys and girls basketball state tournament games are broadcast around the state for free on the State Tournament Network, which is a great source of pride for the WIAA and a rarity around the country. With Wednesday requiring the use of three facilities with three games being conducted concurrently, that would no longer be an option for that day. It is unclear how those games would be broadcast or streamed.

Having three sites would significantly increase the amount of workers needed by the WIAA and complicate the logistics of producing the tournament, though the WBCA has indicated they feel they can provide staff to alleviate these challenges.

Critics of the plan question what makes the new Wednesday schedule a "state tournament" when not all games will be held at the main championship facility, three games would be going at the same time to divide media and fan attention, and the games could potentially be held at high school facilities. Some consider the Wednesday nothing more than a different day for sectional finals. Many liken the new Wednesday to the Super Tuesday concept that was instituted the first year of the five-division plan and vehemently opposed by the participating D1 schools, many of whom now support this proposal.

Small schools have expressed concerns with the proposal that would make the path to state for Division 1 teams even easier, as currently there are approximately 60-70 schools in D1 while Division 5 features 128 schools. Many D1 teams would need to win one game to advance to sectionals, as they'd begin their path to state in a regional final. Meanwhile, almost all Division 5 teams would need to win two games to advance to sectional play.

PROPOSED WIAA BASKETBALL STATE TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Girls Week One - Regional Girls Tuesday, Friday
Girls Week Two - Sectional Girls Thursday, Saturday
Boys Week One - Regional Boys Tuesday, Friday
Boys Week Two - Sectional Boys Thursday, Saturday

Wednesday – Madison & GB Area Facility 1
Morning Session:     8 v 1
     D4 Quarters    5 v 4
Afternoon Session:    8 v 1
     D3 Quarters    5 v 4
Evening Session:    7 v 2
     D1 Quarters    6 v 3
Wednesday – Madison & GB Area Facility 2
Morning Session:     7 v 2
     D4 Quarters    6 v 3
Afternoon Session:    7 v 2
     D3 Quarters    6 v 3
Evening Session:    7 v 2
     D2 Quarters    6 v 3

Wednesday – Madison & GB Area Facility 3 
Morning Session:     8 v 1
     D5 Quarters    5 v 4
Afternoon Session:    7 v 2
     D5 Quarters    6 v 3
Evening Session:    8 v 1
     D2 Quarters    5 v 4

Thursday – Kohl Center or Resch
Morning Session:     8 v 1
     D1 Quarters    5 v 4   **This Slot could be rotated with any division quarterfinal**
Afternoon Session:    Winner of Wednesday’s 8 v 1 vs 5 v 4 Quarterfinals
     D5 Semis        Winner of Wednesday’s 7 v 2 vs 6 v 3 Quarterfinals
Evening Session:    Winner of Wednesday’s 8 v 1 vs 5 v 4 Quarterfinals
     D4 Semis        Winner of Wednesday’s 7 v 2 vs 6 v 3 Quarterfinals

Friday – Kohl Center or Resch
Morning Session:     Winner of Wednesday’s 8 v 1 vs 5 v 4 Quarterfinals
      D3 Semis        Winner of Wednesday’s 7 v 2 vs 6 v 3 Quarterfinals
Afternoon Session:    Winner of Wednesday’s 8 v 1 vs 5 v 4 Quarterfinals
      D2 Semis        Winner of Wednesday’s 7 v 2 vs 6 v 3 Quarterfinals
Evening Session:    Winner of Thursday’s 8 v 1 vs 5 v 4 Quarterfinals
      D1 Semis        Winner of Thursday’s 7 v 2 vs 6 v 3 Quarterfinals

Saturday – Kohl Center or Resch 
11am            Division 5 Championship Game
12:45pm        Division 4 Championship Game
2:30pm        Division 3 Championship Game
6:35pm        Division 2 Championship Game
8:30pm        Division 1 Championship Game

• Follow NFHS Allowed Adaptations that would allow teams to reverse the typical uniform colors for no more than three home games with mutual agreement by each school's administration. This would allow teams to wear their dark, or away, jerseys up to three times per year at home. (Coaches Committee supported 7-0, Sports Advisory supposed 13-0, WIAA Executive Staff supported)
• Adjust game times for boys regional finals and girls sectional final games, which occur on the same day, so that boys regional final games can start at either 4 pm or 7 pm, while girls sectional final contests would be at 1 pm, or 3 pm with WIAA approval. (Coaches Committee supported 7-0, Sports Advisory supposed 13-0, WIAA Executive Staff supported)
• Several playoff seeding adjustments proposed by the WIAA Basketball Seeding Committee and advanced through the Coaches Advisory Committee:
  • Increased use of head-to-head in seeding for all consecutive seeds (currently it is only used if it impacts which team has a home game in the first round). (Coaches Committee supported 7-0, Sports Advisory supposed 13-0, WIAA Executive Staff supported)
  • Adjustments to the weighting and use of seeding factors. (Coaches Committee supported 7-0, Sports Advisory supposed 13-0, WIAA Executive Staff split)
  • Pushing back the production and release of playoff seeding by one week, which would allow more regular season contests to be included in playoff seeding.(Coaches Committee supported 7-0, Sports Advisory supposed 13-0, WIAA Executive Staff split)
  • Releasing preliminary, unofficial playoff seeds towards the end of the regular season (January 30th for girls and February 6th for boys in the 2025-26 season) to provide additional transparency and also an idea where teams may fall. (Coaches Committee supported 7-0, Sports Advisory supposed 13-0, WIAA Executive Staff supported)

Travis Wilson serves as the WisSports.net General Manager, Football Editor, and contributing writer for other parts of the site. Wilson was selected as part of the Sports 40 Under 40 list by Coach & AD Magazine and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association for 2019. The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) named Travis the 2015 recipient of the Dave McClain Distinguished Service Award. He currently serves on the WFCA Executive Board and is a member of the Executive Board of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. A graduate of Richland Center High School and Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Travis was a three-sport athlete in high school (football, baseball, basketball), inducted to the Richland Center High School Hall of Fame in 2023, and currently resides in Reedsburg. You can follow him on Twitter at @travisWSN.